Saturday, January 12, 2008

Heat and Toast

Webcamera glances into Studio B in the Basement

Activities that generate fumes, shards, chemicals and wet or messy activities are set up in the basement, far away from the living area, the kiln, just popped in some cabochons of glass for pairs of earrings. Best place is in the basement for it. The kiln is firing, takes about an hour to gently bring the temperature up for the fusing and flash vent after firing, to bring the temperature down to 900 degrees F, then allow them to anneal and cool slowly down from there. There is a lot of time preparing the glass to go into the kiln on the prepared shelf, then time spent firing and waiting for cooling.

That time was spent using the torch. getting the new firing station set up. Ceramic tiles under the torch and under the hot wire balled ends. The copper and bamboo tongs are to pull things out of the pickle. Don't use anything with iron or other metal besides copper in the acidic pickle pot. Glass cutters, chasing hammer, rawhide hammer. Bench block, brass brush. Tools all lined up.

The round hammered links on the black rubber cube were fused closed using the torch also.

Pickled and polished, and shined with the brass brush. Going to use in a chain necklace, planned for tomorrow.

Like tools. Good tools make things go better. Glass cutting tools.
Toyo cutter (without oil, to use for cutting glass for fusing for jewelry) and grozing pliers. The red handled breaking pliers.
Keeping all these tools away from the soldering station, with the flux.
Flux is hard on tools. These are the good tools, keeping them oiled and wiped very clean.

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